Special Olympics

Pete speaks with Keeshia DeShields, the the regional development coordinator with Special Olympics Arkansas, about this year's competition which is set for April 4 at Ramay Jr. High in Fayetteville.

The Special Olympics Arkansas Area 3 Spring Games are returning to Fayetteville on Friday, April 4. This year, the competition will take place at Ramay Jr. High and feature athletes from all over the region competing in bocce, powerlifting and track and field.

Arkansas ranks very low in maternal health categories, and a new, free app is trying to help expecting and new mothers get connected to services. On today's show, we hear how an Arkansas-specific pregnancy app could move the needle for maternal health. Plus, the co-writer of Back to the Future helps turn the iconic film series into a stage musical. Also, writer Mathew Goldberg is coming back to northwest Arkansas to launch his new book at Two Friends in Bentonville.

Cold water plunges can be a family activity– at least, that’s what the Dollars think. Whitney and Lillyan Dollar have participated in the Special Olympics Polar Plunge for years now. They spoke with Ozarks at Large’s Jack Travis about their experience and how they approach fundraising.

On today's show, the surprising impact of social media on young people. Also, Lorie Tudor reflects on a four-decade career with the Arkansas Department of Transportation in this week's Northwest Arkansas Business Journal edition. Plus, we hear from actors in the Walton Arts Center's last production in 2024.

Stephanie Price is tougher than most. She’s a multi-sport athlete for the Arkansas Special Olympics and participates in the organization’s Polar Plunge every year. This February, she, along with many other brave souls, will leap into the Creekmore Park Pool.

On today's show, we hear about grant funding that has been awarded to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences to provide therapeutic care to incarcerated people diagnosed with PTSD. Also, the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation celebrates 50 years of work by honoring its past work by launching a new initiative to help Arkansas nonprofits work in the next half-century. Plus, an athlete takes a cold swim.

Very soon, thousands of people will leap into freezing cold water across the state during Special Olympics Arkansas’ annual Polar Plunge. The event, hosted by Law Enforcement Torch Run, helps keep Special Olympics Arkansas cost-free for athletes. Justin Tate is a special Olympian and veteran plunger. The Elkins resident jumps into Beaver Lake every winter and visited with Ozarks at Large’s Jack Travis about the event.

On today's show, more engineers in Arkansas may contribute to a more robust economy. Plus, reporter Daniel Caruth speaks with an economic policy expert about an increase in child labor violations in Arkansas. We also get ready for a polar plunge, holiday markets and more.

Since its founding in 1970, Special Olympics Arkansas has grown to serve more than 15,000 athletes around the state. Although COVID-19 has forced the…